System and method for optimizing selection of an air filter

ABSTRACT

A method for estimating energy use in an air filtration system using a preselected air filter includes the steps of: entering filtration system information into a computer having access to dust holding capacity—pressure drop curves for a plurality of air filters; determining an estimated current energy use of the air filtration system for a current air filter in the system; and presenting the estimated energy use on a display of the computer. Proposed filters can be evaluated and filter operation and changing cycle can be optimized.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a system and method for improving the selectionand operation of filters of an HVAC system and other air/gas filtrationsystems.

Air handling systems such as any of a wide variety of HVAC systemstypically utilize various air handling and conditioning equipment andducts and the like for transporting air from one location to another andconditioning that air as it is being transported prior to introductionof the conditioned air into the space to be conditioned.

It is frequently desirable to filter the air in the course of thishandling, for the purposes of removing various particulate and/orgaseous matter and the like which may be entrained in the air, andthereby provide a better quality conditioned air to the conditionedspace. As can be appreciated, filters in such systems graduallyaccumulate such entrained particulate and other matter from the air, andas this matter accumulates on the filter, the resistance to flow of airthrough the filter increases. This leads to an increase in pressure dropat the filter, and thus a decrease in operating efficiency.

Due to these factors, there is a need to change filters in airconditioning systems on a periodic basis. This changing of filters canbe as simple as opening of one or more filter housings in an easy toaccess location and installing a new filter, to replacing potentiallylarge filters in difficult to reach locations in industrial facilities.Regardless of the environment, the best time for changing such filters,and for that matter the best type of filters to use, is often a matterof guesswork.

Based on the above, much efficiency is lost through utilization of afilter that is not best suited due to the cost of the energy and otherfiltration associated costs that are associated to the particular filterduring its useful life, and also through changing such filters eithertoo early or too late. The need exists for an improved approach toreduce losses due to inefficiency of the filter and guesswork decisionsupon when a filter should be changed.

The present invention is intended to meet that need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, a system and method are provided forenhancing the economic efficiency and operation of HVAC and otherfiltration systems by identifying and utilizing more energy and costefficient filters for a particular system, adjusted to the filter user'sreal location and experience and for identifying the most advantageoustime for replacing such filters. The system takes into account thetheoretical energy consumption of the air filter over its entirelifetime, as well as one or more additional factors which lead to costof running an air filter such as the cost of the energy consumed byoperating the system with the particular air filter in place, costdirectly or indirectly related to filtration such as the cost of thefilter, the cost of changing the filter, the cost of disposing offilters, loss of production during filter change-out, cost resultingfrom the purchasing of the filters, and the like, and finally costswhich are not directly or indirectly related to the air filtrationitself, but rather are peripherally related costs, such as the cost ofstoring a supply of filters, carbon footprint costs or benefits, and thelike.

In addition, the system can determine the carbon footprint of the usedand proposed filters to help the filter user to select a moreenvironmentally friendly filter. Further, if at some point the carbonfootprint leads to an additional economic cost, the system can becommunicated with a source of that cost and this factor can then beadded to the factors used to determine the economic effect of using aparticular filter.

The system also takes customer experience into account, factoring inwhat specific filters the filter user is using or has used and what theexperience is or was with those filters. Useful experience informationincludes how often and at what pressure drop the filter or filters arenormally changed by the user. Standard factors can also be used, andpreferably these factors are the ASHRAE 52.2 and dust holding capacityvs pressure drop curves, and standard factors should be usedconsistently for all filters being evaluated. Other standards could alsobe used, such as EN771 or the like. Knowing filter manufacturer andmodel/type that is being used, the change-out time and the pressure dropat that change-out time as per user experience (or estimate of suchexperience), the ASHRAE DHC vs. delta P of that particular filter allowsthe system to indirectly determine air quality at the location and theestimates of economic performance with proposed filters. Further, thesystem can take numerous other factors into account to make the filtereconomic evaluation estimation as accurate to the specific user locationas possible. Additional examples of cost information that can be takeninto account include work or school absenteeism caused by inappropriateair filtration: use of a higher efficiency filter that consumes moreenergy but that produces cleaner air and in turn reduces the absenteeismin schools and improves the education efficiency can lower cost ofteaching and providing a better education, and in a business canincrease the overall productivity. Thus, a user of the system couldenter estimates of this information as well.

When none, or only some of the experience information is available,various different typical numbers can be assumed, and cost informationprovided for each different value. For example, the industry's typicalrecommendation of changing at a pressure drop of 1.5″ w.g. (water gauge)can be a starting point, and savings information by switching to adifferent filter can be determined and presented to a user of the systemat 1.5″ w.g. as well as 1.4″ w.g., 1.3″ w.g., etc.

By assembling the various components of information as desired by theperson utilizing this process, factors which are important to aparticular user can be accounted for in determining the benefits ofchanging to a different type of filter, and further can be utilized todetermine the best lifespan for use of such filters in the system. Thisprocess can advantageously be utilized by building managers, sellers offilters, government officials and even household consumers, any of whomcan benefit from the determination made according to the process. Thisprogram, system and method are intended to contribute to minimizing thetotal cost of air filtration. In some systems, multiple stage filtersare used. In such systems, it is common for the earlier stage filters toneed to be removed in order to access a later stage filter. For example,in order to access and change the third stage filter, it may benecessary to remove the second stage filter. In accordance with theinvention, it is recognized that the most efficient way to change suchfilters is to change the third stage filter when the second stage filteris also due to be changed. Thus, the system according to the invention,when outputting a report of proposed filter use and changing schedule,will formulate the proposal so that the change out period for the thirdstage filter is equal to or a multiple of the change our period of thesecond stage.

According to the invention, a method is provided for estimating energyuse in an air filtration system using a preselected air filter,comprising the steps of: entering filtration system information into acomputer having access to dust holding capacity—pressure drop curves fora plurality of air filters; determining an estimated current energy useof the air filtration system for a current air filter in the system; andpresenting the estimated energy use on a display of the computer.

In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the entered information canalso include information related to a proposed air filter different fromthe current air filter, and an estimated energy use of the airfiltration system using the proposed air filter is determined andpresenting on the display of the computer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present inventionfollows, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing operation of the system in accordancewith the present invention;

FIGS. 2-5 show display screens which can be generated with the systemand method of the invention;

FIGS. 6-7 show system configurations and modules according to theinvention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 shows information entry screens which can be generatedwith the system and method of the invention for systems with multiplestages; and

FIGS. 10 and 11 show display screens which can be generated with thesystem and method of the invention showing output (cost savings andoptimization) of the system for a proposed air filter for a multiplestage system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a system and method for determining theestimated total costs for use of a particular air filter in an HVACsystem. As will be discussed below, this allows the total cost of usingvarious different types of filters to be estimated so that a decisioncan be made to use what may be the most cost effective filter for thatparticular system. The process of the invention involves evaluating aseries of different factors to make the determination of the costs ofoperating a filter and then can further include an evaluation of aspecific filter, for example, the most cost effective filter, todetermine when it is most advisable to change that filter.

The system can be embodied in a series of programmed machine operationswhich can be carried out on a wide variety of computing devices such asdesktop or laptop computers, PDAs, industrial workstations and/orservers which can be accessed by any of the foregoing. While it isanticipated that the machine instructions would be embodied in a programwhich is compatible with typical operating systems, it could also beincorporated into a dedicated machine which could have differentoperating systems as well, the key being to have programmed capabilityfor accepting various choices from the user and storing variousrelationships to which the choices of the user are applied to determinecertain output, and finally with formatting capabilities to present thatdata in a desired manner, for example in graph or chart form or thelike.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic flowchart of various steps which can be takenby the process in accordance with the invention. The first step showninvolves determining the theoretical energy consumption of the currentlyused air filter in question, that is, the filter that is being or hasbeen used. This is based upon a determination of the energy consumptionof the air filter when first installed, as well the energy consumptionof the air filter just prior to it being changed out and the graduallyincreasing energy consumption of the air filter between these points.This relationship can most accurately be estimated by determining thechange in pressure drop for a filter, which in turn can be estimated onthe basis of, for example, utilizing ASHRAE test standard 52.1 or 52.2.The test curve generated by this standard represents the practicalbehavior of a particular filter in a standardized set up of testconditions. Due to different environmental factors, this curve is ofcourse an estimate, and may not represent the actual behavior of the airfilter. However, any error from this difference is minimized greatly dueto the fact that the proposed filter evaluation is based upon its ownASHRAE test curve, and therefore the evaluation of both filters wouldhave the same error, and the error would essentially cancel itself out,since the actual and proposed filters are being evaluated relative toeach other.

The pressure drop of the air filter at the time that particular userchanges out the air filter is either determined by the use of pressuredrop gauges at the location, or if it is not possible to measure thepressure drop of the filters at the time of change out, the system andmethod can be run or otherwise carried out using different incrementalpressure drop estimates at the time of change out in order to generatethe corresponding economic estimate and optimized change out point. Forexample, it is typically recommended that filters be changed out whenthe pressure drop has reached approximately 1.5″ w.g. Filter userexperience, if different, is entered by the filter user and/or operatorof the system or if it is not known, it is entered and the methodcarried out at 1.5″, then at 1.4″, then at 1.3″ and so on in order toget an idea of the effect of different filters. In some areas, theindustry maximum filter change out pressure drop standard, used as anestimate when needed, is different. For example, in Europe the industrystandard for changing out filters is currently at a maximum of 1.8″ w.g.

In connection with the above determination, the rate of change of thepressure drop from initial use through to change out of a filter can beused to generate a non-linear curve of pressure drop (DP) versus dustholding capacity (DHC). This curve can be generated using the ASHRAEtest standard mentioned above.

The determination of theoretical energy consumption also must includethe time it takes to run a filter from first installation to the momentit is changed out, and this estimate of time coupled with the rate ofchange of the pressure drop from the DP versus DHC curve can then beused along with HVAC system efficiency and other information todetermine a total amount of energy required to operate the HVAC systemwith that air filter over time.

While the energy required to operate an air filter over the lifetime ofthat air filter will undoubtedly be one factor to be considered inalmost any evaluation, the other factors to be included can varydepending upon the needs of a particular user. Several likely factorsare discussed below.

One such factor is the carbon footprint. Numerous governments arebeginning to take notice of the carbon footprint created by operation ofa particular building, industry, or the like. This carbon footprint canresult in cost to the business if too large, or savings to the businessif less than a particular standard. Thus, the carbon footprint can leadto direct economic consequences to the user of the HVAC system. Thecarbon footprint, or CO₂ that is generated due to the operation of thefilter, can be calculated by multiplying the energy consumed, which hasalready been determined as above, by a factor established by theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA). Thus, in accordance with thepresent invention, the system is preferably programmed to carry out thiscalculation, and to either store or obtain the EPA factor as the casemay be. The system could in one embodiment store one or more defaultvalues, or even a map associated with the default values to allow a userto find a good default value for a particular location. Alternatively,the system may store a link to such information, for example to anon-line map with associated factors.

The carbon footprint can also be evaluated and presented to the filteruser as an estimate of the change in carbon footprint which will occurwhen switching to a proposed filter as an output. Thus, in addition toeconomic consequences of a change, the user can also evaluateenvironmental consequences.

Another clear point of interest would be the total estimated cost due toair filtration, and this cost can be estimated by determining theestimated cost of energy consumed during operation of the filter whichis determined above. This calculation can be obtained by multiplying theamount of energy that the filter or filters will consume during itschange out cycle by the cost of energy. The cost of energy can be storedby the system in accordance with the present invention, or the systemcan be programmed to obtain this cost based upon geographic location andthe like. Once the cost is determined, it can be annualized, as shouldbe all other costs, so that costs for various different sets ofcircumstances can be compared on a per year basis.

An estimation can also be conducted as to the cost of all filtrationcycle related direct or indirect costs that the user of the system wantsto consider and add to the analysis. These types of costs can includethe cost of the filter, the cost of changing out the filter, filterdisposal costs, loss of production during change out of the filter,purchasing process costs and the like. These costs also should beannualized so that they can be combined with other costs and used togenerate a final annual cost of the filter that can be compared to thecosts of other filters in the process of determining which filter hasthe best total value.

Another factor or series of factors that can be included are estimatedcosts of all annual peripherally related costs that the customer or userwants to include, such as filter storage costs, carbon footprint costsor benefits and the like.

According to the invention, when the process is implemented on acomputing device, an interface is ideally presented to the user whichwill lead the user through a series of data entry steps to determinerelevant information and which factors to consider in estimating thefinal data. This interface can be generated by the computing system ontowhich the process machine instructions are loaded, and various softwareon that machine can be utilized to generate the appropriate display. Theactual machine operating instructions for generating the display arethose which would be well-known to a person skilled in the art to whichthis invention is related, and the actual operating system of thecomputing device does not form any part of the present invention.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a series of steps each leading to an outputwhich is then combined to determine a total estimated operating cost ofa particular filter. According to the invention, this calculation can becarried out for two or more different filters to generate an estimatedoperating cost for each of the filters, and these numbers can then becompared to determine which filter is most economical in that particularset of circumstances. The process of the present invention when loadedonto a computing device can advantageously be adapted to present theresulting calculated total operating costs and related information inany meaningful form to help the user compare the differences in totaloperating costs and the like. One way to compare these estimations wouldbe to carry out the steps of FIG. 1 for the existing filter of aparticular user, and then to carry out these calculations for theproposed filter, of course using the DP versus DHC curve of thatproposed filter, and carrying out the calculation to the point on thatcurve where DHC for the proposed filter is equal to DHC of the currentfilter at change out. The total cost calculation of the proposed filtercan then be subtracted from the total cost calculation of the existingfilter to determine a total cost change that would result from using theproposed filter, and this information can be presented to the user ofthe system.

Additional examples of cost information that a user can be prompted toenter include work or school absenteeism caused by inappropriate airfiltration. Use of a higher efficiency filter that consumes more energybut that produces cleaner air and in turn reduces the absenteeism inschools and improves the education efficiency can lower cost of teachingand providing a better education, and in a business can increase theoverall productivity. Thus, a user of the system could enter estimatesof this information as well, which can be factored into the overall costestimates of current and proposed air filters in order to provide acomprehensive cost comparison.

The system and process of the present invention can also be utilized todetermine the optimum proposed filter change out time for a particularfilter. This can be done on its own as a useful determination or can bedone in combination with the above calculations to first determine theimpact of switching to a proposed filter operated for the same durationas the current filter, and then to optimize the change out point of theproposed filter. Thus, according to the invention, a first run can bedone to determine if savings can be obtained by changing to a proposedfilter while operating the proposed filter for the same amount of timeas the current filter, a second run can then be made to determine whenthat proposed filter should be changed out to further enhance efficiencyand reduce estimated total operating costs. A different change outcycle, that is, earlier or later than when the user normally changes outfilters, is of course, a useful estimate to provide. The system andmethod can also be used to evaluate estimated economic and/or carbonfootprint impact of changing out at other pressure drops.

It should be appreciated that although atmospheric conditions are notconstant, when comparing two filters the relative performance of thefilters with respect to each other are very good indicators since bothfilter estimates are based on the same atmospheric conditions which is areasonable assumption for the same premises.

The ASHRAE standard 52.2 is useful for generating various differentinformation and parameters for a particular filter. Attached as AppendixA is a sample test report following the ASHRAE standards, for aparticular filter. This shows the test results for the filter as carriedout by an independent testing laboratory, and the data set forth in thisreport can be provided to or otherwise stored by the system inaccordance with the present invention, preferably for a series ofdifferent filters, and used in combination with the actual on-site orexperience information collected from a customer, to make thecalculations and determinations which are to be made according to theinvention. Another standard which could be used is as EN771, and similarstandards could likewise be used.

Turning now to FIGS. 2-5, a series of illustrations of data collectionand output screens which can be generated in accordance with the presentinvention are shown.

FIG. 2 shows a data collection screen wherein the various differentcontact information for a particular HVAC operator can be collected,followed by a section in this illustration identified as “customerfiltration system” wherein information specific to the particular filteruser location and operating practice can be collected. In this section,the time of operation, average change-out cycle, number of filters in asystem, system efficiency, local CO₂ emissions, local energy costs andvarious other aspects of the actual system are collected so that thecalculations to be made can be based upon the actual system in question.

Also collected at this time is information related to the current filterused by the HVAC operator, and various information related to thisfilter such as the average pressure drop of the filter when changed,cost of each filter, etc. Also shown on this screen is a column forcollecting information related to the filter to be proposed to the HVACoperator.

In the example illustrated in the figures shown, it can be seen that thecurrent filter is a Riga-Flo Camfil-Farr M14 12″ B G BH filter. Thisfilter would hopefully be found within the existing data base of thesystem, and if not, then some additional specific information would needto be obtained from the filter user or some other source, or from anindependent test laboratory. In this instance, the filter is in thedatabase and filter characteristics are shown in the screen.

Also collected on this screen, or entered on this screen, is anidentification of the filter to be proposed as an improvement. Thechoice of proposed filter is made from a list of filters stored in oraccessible to the system library, and information similar to that shownand described in the above test report is preferably available for eachfilter option. By entering the name of a proposed filter, relevantdetails are brought to bear by the system and considered in making afinal determination. In the example of FIG. 2, the proposed filter is aLegacy CLC M14 12″ 9.5 m² H S CLC filter

Once this information is entered, the first step is to calculate whatsavings based upon energy costs, filter replacement costs and any othersource of costs considered in the initial entry of data are experienced.Upon considering all these costs, an initial determination can be madeas to whether the proposed filter type would result in a savings. FIG. 3shows a typical outcome from this step, showing in table and graph formthe cost for operating the existing filter as compared to the cost foroperating the proposed filter. It is noted that in this instance theproposed filter has a better efficiency than the existing filter, andtherefore the proposed filter can be changed-out on the same timetableas the original filter, but after having reached a fraction of thepressure drop reached by the existing filter.

Once it is established that the new filter type appears to be animprovement over the original filter, the next step is to take the sameentered information and use the optimize option as shown in FIG. 2, andthis results in an optimization of the new filter type to determine whenthe filter should be changed-out. This is illustrated in FIG. 4. In thisway, the ideal or optimal time for changing-out the proposed new filtercan also be determined. In this particular instance, the old filter hadbeen changed-out at twelve months. In the test data, it is shown thatwhile the existing filter reaches the pressure drop of 1.5″ of waterover the relevant time frame, the proposed filter has a much flattercurve of dust held (in grams) to the pressure drop (in inches of water).This output can include a graph of pressure drop versus time and/or dustheld for each filter, to further highlight the advantages to be gainedby utilizing the proposed filter. Finally, from the presentation screenof FIG. 2, once all data has been entered and the filter optimized, areport can be generated at the optimal pressure drop to change-out theproposed new filter, and this report can summarize the comparison of theold filter type with the new filter type under the same operatingparameters, and further with the new filter type under the optimizedoperating parameters. A sample report is produced in FIGS. 5 a-5 d. Inthis way, a potential customer or purchaser of the filters using thesystem and method of the invention can determine which filter and way tooperate the filter would be most advantageous for that particularcustomer's system and practices in operating the system.

FIG. 5 a shows a summary in table form comparing the cost of the currentfilter with the estimated cost of the proposed filter operated at thesame change-out cycle and also at the optimized change-out cycle.

FIG. 5 b shows a more detailed breakdown of the summary of FIG. 5 a,including information both a yearly and cyclical basis.

FIG. 5 c summarizes the information used by the system and method formaking the relevant estimates, and FIG. 5 d is a summary of informationpresented to the user to more fully complete the information presented.

It should be noted that while the above example shows use of the systempurely for the purpose of determining whether a proposed filter isbetter, and by how much, this system could likewise be used by a sellerof filters to determine the price at which a proposed filter could besold and still be attractive to the consumer. In order to do this, theabove steps could be made while changing the proposed price for theproposed filter and thereby gaining more knowledge as to the economicimpact upon the actual consumer based upon each possible proposed price.

The above illustrates one example of the information to be collected andone way of displaying the results from the system and method of thepresent invention through which a user of the system can be presentedwith an efficient presentation of the relevant determinations.

FIGS. 6 and 7 further illustrate the flow of operation of variousdifferent components of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a generalflow in connection with a security module, an administration module, atotal filtration cost site, and the contact point with a consumer.

At the security module, a super-administrator or SA can conduct varioushigh-level configurations of the system, such as verifying and creatingusers, and the like.

An administration module is also shown, and this can be modified by anauthorized user downstream, for example, in order to validate users, addfilters to the libraries, add laboratory testing, manage filters in thelocal data base, manage logos of various different licensed dealers whowill be using the system, and the like.

There is a total filtration cost site or module, typically to beoperated by a licensee such as a dealer or the like, and at this siteonce all passwords have been cleared, the licensee can enter data ascollected from the customer. The total filtration cost site communicateswith the security module, and then typically utilizes entered data tocalculate relevant information using the server-based system to performsome or all operations. The result is a calculation, optimization andreport of results as shown above in connection with FIGS. 2-5. Theseresults can be presented to the licensee or dealer, or can be presenteddirectly to the customer.

It is also noted that FIG. 6 shows a communication billboard which goesbetween a licensee in charge of the total filtration cost site and thesecurity module. This communication billboard can be utilized to conductgeneral communications between super-administrator level people and thecustomers, for the purposes of system support, trouble shooting andfeedback and the like.

It is also noted that a customer desiring to obtain consultationaccording to the present invention could enter contact information withthe administration module, which will result in a consultant contactingthe consumer to work through the functioning of the total filtrationcost site as discussed above.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further series of different functionality which ispresented to each different type of user and of course with the presentinvention. Thus, this figure illustrates a filtration cost system, andthis system includes a series of steps for studying the case, acommunication billboard and an administrative function.

The customer operating a system as illustrated in FIG. 7 could beginoperation of the filtration cost system through pre-loading of specificdata, which is specific to the location at which the filter is to beused.

FIG. 7 shows the various different personnel potentially involved in theuse of the system, as well as connection points to various differentmodules to show what that particular individual's role would be inoperating the system according to the present invention.

FIGS. 8-11 are directed to an embodiment of the invention whereinprovision is made for users of systems having more than one stage. Theprogram according to the invention is preferably configured to handle upto five stages, as this is as many stages as are used in typicalmulti-stage systems. In such systems, each stage has a filter, and theconfiguration of the system usually is such that the filter for a secondor subsequent stage cannot be changed without accessing and removing theearlier stage filter(s). Since it does not make sense to remove anearlier stage filter to replace a later stage filter, and then reinstallthe partially used earlier stage filter, it is the most effective use offilters to select and filters and operate the system such that the laterstage filter is to be changed at the same cycle, or in multiples ofcycles, of the earlier stage filter.

Thus, according to the invention, the information gathering stage forthis embodiment, as illustrated by FIGS. 8 and 9, would start with ascreen for a first stage and then have a screen for each subsequentstage for collecting relevant information concerning the filter in eachstage. With this information, the system is programmed to select filterswhich can operate in the various stages and be changed out as desired,with later filters being changed on cycle, or in multiples of the cycle,of the earlier filters.

Thus, for example, FIG. 8 shows information entered relative to a firststage of a two stage system. FIG. 8 shows that the filters for the firststage are changed out on a 3 month cycle. FIG. 9 shows the second stageof this system, and shows that the filters for this stage are changed ona 12 month cycle. This aspect of the present invention advantageouslyallows the system to evaluate different filters and/or filter change outcycles for the first and second stages and FIGS. 10 and 11 show anoutput screen for this determination wherein it is determined (FIG. 10)that substantial savings can be accomplished with proposed filters andcontinuing to change the stage 1 filters on a 3 month cycle whilechanging the second stage filters on a 12 month cycle. In FIG. 11,results of optimization are shown. The system has optimized change ourcycles for the first stage to be at a pressure drop of 1.15 inches w.g.and for the second stage at a pressure drop of 0.9 inches w.g. This canthen be modified to take into account the advantage of changing thesecond stage filters on cycle with the first stage filters as discussedabove.

It should be understood that the illustrations provided in FIGS. 2-11above show samples of how the system and method according to theinvention can be used by specific individuals such as administrators,dealers, licensees and customers to obtain and/or provide usefulinformation. These illustrations are by way of example, and it is ofcourse understood that other presentations could be made by methods andsystems operating according to the method and still be well within thescope of the present invention.

We claim:
 1. A method for estimating energy use in an air filtrationsystem using a preselected air filter, comprising the steps of: enteringfiltration system information into a computer having access to dustholding capacity—pressure drop curves for a plurality of air filters;determining an estimated current energy use of the air filtration systemfor a current air filter in the system; and presenting the estimatedenergy use on a display of the computer.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising: entering information into the computer related to aproposed air filter different from the current air filter; determiningan estimated energy use of the air filtration system using the proposedair filter; and presenting the estimated energy use on the display ofthe computer.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step ofpresenting a comparison of the estimated energy use with the current airfilter and the proposed air filter on the display of the computer. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein the information includes change out timesfor the current air filter, and further comprising determining anoptimized change out time for the proposed air filter; and presentingthe optimized change out time on the display of the computer.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the computer has access to energy costinformation, and wherein the presenting step includes presentingestimated cost of use on the display of the computer.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the information includes at least one additional costinformation selected from the group consisting of filter cost, filterchanging cost, used filter disposal cost, carbon footprint cost andcombinations thereof, and wherein the estimated cost includes the atleast one additional cost.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein thecomputer has access to energy cost information, and wherein thepresenting step includes presenting estimated cost of use on the displayof the computer.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the informationincludes at least one additional cost information selected from thegroup consisting of filter cost, filter changing cost, used filterdisposal cost, carbon footprint cost and combinations thereof, andwherein the estimated cost includes the at least one additional cost. 9.The method of claim 8, wherein the system has at least two stages eachhaving a current air filter, and wherein the optimizing step includesoptimizing the change out cycle of filters from each of the at least twostages.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includeschange out times for the current air filter, and further comprisingdetermining an optimized change out time for the current air filter; andpresenting the optimized change out time on the display of the computer.11. The method of claim 2, further comprising entering informationconcerning additional proposed air filters, selecting a desired proposedair filter, and then optimizing change out time for the desired proposedair filter.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includesuser experience information related to operation of the system with thecurrent air filter.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the informationincludes pressure drop at a start of operation for the current airfilter and pressure drop at change out time for the current air filter.14. A system for estimating energy use in an air filtration system usinga preselected air filter, comprising: a computer configured to receivefiltration system information, the computer having access to dustholding capacity—pressure drop curves for a plurality of air filters;the computer being programmed to determine an estimated current energyuse of the air filtration system for a current air filter in the systemusing the filtration system information and dust holdingcapacity—pressure drop curves, and having a display for presenting theestimated energy use.